§ Mr. R. Morganasked the Prime Minister the names of the companies which have been and are being subsidised by the British Council; and the amount of such subsidies?
§ The Prime MinisterIf, as I presume, my hon. Friend is referring to theatrical companies, the British Council has never granted any subsidies to such companies. From time to time, however, the council has contracted with the following theatrical companies to perform abroad, and has defrayed their expenses to the amounts set out below:
In 1937, the Vic-Wells Ballet and the London production of Mr. Bernard Shaw's "Candida," at the invitation of the French Government for the exhibition in Paris, £2, 985 3s.
In 1938, the Dublin Gate Theatre Productions Company, for a season in Athens at the invitation of the Greek Government, £719 9s. 6d.
1311WIn 1939, the Old Vic Company, for seasons in Lisbon, Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples, Cairo, Alexandria and Malta, £13,448 4s. 5d.
In 1939, the Dublin Gate Theatre Productions Company, for seasons in Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade, Sofia, Bucharest and Salonika, £7,056 1s. 8d.
In 1939, an English company under the leadership of Mr. Maurice Colbourne for a Trans-Canadian tour, a sum of £4,000, returnable in part or whole according to the success of the tour, which I may say is at present being conducted at a profit.